Reid Goes to the Movies
by legaldramafan
Summary: Post 3.16: Elephant's Memory. Reid is perturbed by Morgan's comment of "I hope it was a she" and Morgan wants to know what Reid's been up to. Pre-slash.


**Disclaimer: I am not the creator or owner of Criminal Minds and/or the characters therein. I have no legal rights or financial interest in any of it.**

"_Sorry I'm late," Reid apologized as he entered the room in the middle of the briefing._

"_I hope she was worth it," commented Rossi._

"_I hope it was a she," Morgan added._

Episode 3.16, _Elephant's Memory_

Reid Goes to the Movies

_I hope it was a she._ Reid repeated Morgan's words over and over in his head. _What did Morgan mean by that? A she as opposed to a he? Or more generally a person as opposed to say, a book, and he just assumed heterosexuality on my part and therefore used the feminine pronoun?_

_It's just, he can't possibly know . . . can he? No, no, no. It's simply not possible. He believes you had a crush on JJ. He believes you liked kissing Lila Archer. Your secret is still safe. It's not so much that I don't want him to know my sexual orientation, I'm just afraid that once he knows that he'll be able to piece together the otherwise benign behavioral clues that indicate my interest in him, specifically._

_I hope it was a she. Those words are going to eat at me until I know what he meant but I'm afraid to even ask . . ._

When Reid arrived home from his N/A meeting the next night, he found Morgan waiting on his stoop.

"Hot date?" he inquired.

"I assume you're not sitting on my doorstep just to wait and see if I had a date this evening," Reid replied as he joined Morgan on the stoop instead of inviting him into his condo.

"Well, uh, I just kind of felt like maybe things are a little off between us, you know, since the other day when you came in late . . ." Morgan trailed off, not wanting to repeat the words that seemed to have caused a rift.

"I, uh, wasn't sure how to take it exactly, but we're fine," he answered, trying to dismiss the subject.

"Clearly we're not," the older agent argued. "And I didn't mean anything by it; I was just joking around. There was no particular way you should've taken it."

"Well you could have meant she as opposed to he, or she as opposed to, say, a book. There's a popular saying in Mexico, 'entre broma y broma, la verdad se asoma,' and it basically means that in-between jokes and teasing lies the truth. You meant something, whether you consciously realized it or not." Reid did not want to have this conversation but at the same time he felt compelled to defend his position.

"You think too much," Morgan declared, shaking his head.

"Good night Morgan," Reid said as he stood, fishing in his pocket for his keys.

The next afternoon Reid noticed that Prentiss was wearing her coat at her desk.

"Are you feeling okay Emily?" he inquired politely.

"Oh, yeah, it's just been a little . . . chilly . . . in the bullpen recently." She gave him a pointed look and then he followed her gaze to Morgan. Rolling his eyes and regretting having asked about her well-being he abandoned his paperwork to get more coffee.

"Did you talk to him?" Prentiss asked Morgan after Reid had left.

"I tried," Morgan mumbled.

"Well try again . . . and try harder."

That evening when Reid returned from his meeting he once again found Morgan waiting for him, this time with takeout.

"Well I suppose since you brought me dinner I ought to invite you in," he grumbled.

"Well unless you and your hot date already had dinner," joked Morgan.

"Let's just get this out of the way; I'm not dating anyone. Period."

"Then where you been man?" he asked as he followed Reid into the modest apartment.

"I was at a meeting."

"For what? Like a professional group? Something for one of the five billion degrees you have or are working on?"

Reid rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. Morgan was trying his patience and ruining what inner peace he had managed to find at the meeting. "It's a professional group."

"Cool, maybe I could tag along some time," he added as he unpacked the food.

"The last time I checked you are neither an alcoholic nor a drug addict and I don't believe the group handles sex addicts so no, you can't tag along."

"Wait what?" Morgan asked, surprised.

"You kept asking me what was up after Henkel; well, that's what was up. I was using. Henkel got me started, but that's no excuse."

"You're clean now?"

"Yup. Ethan – my friend from New Orleans – he came up and stayed with me, helped me get clean."

"I would have helped you man; I was worried sick about you."

"I didn't want you to see me that way," Reid confesses.

"It doesn't change the way I feel about you Reid."

"If I told you that I'm gay, and that's why I was so concerned about your comment from last week, would that change things?"

"Are you?" Morgan asked, eyes wide with surprise.

Reid nodded, eyes down, face red.

"Well, would it change things for you if I told you I switch-hit from time to time?"

Reid looked up, confusion on his face. "I'm sorry, what?"

"A switch-hitter. I play for both teams, but I clearly have a preference; obviously my preference is women."

"S-s-so that means that you're attracted to men as well as women?"

"There ya go! I knew that genius brain of yours could figure it out."

"So you don't care then . . . that I'm gay I mean."

"Well now that I know I might take a chance and ask you out," Morgan said with a wink.

"That's not funny Morgan."

"I'm not joking Reid. I keep telling you you're pretty for a reason."

"Well I can't go out with you."

"Oh. Um, I guess I've been reading things wrong," he said as he stood.

"No, no! Don't go! It's, um, you are very attractive – obviously – but all the literature I've read and research I've done recommends being clean for a certain period of time before beginning any sort of romantic relationship . . . if you would even want it to be a relationship, I mean . . . I don't know what you want . . . I, I'm not really a one night stand kind of guy. . . anymore . . . I mean, I never was . . . exactly . . . but when I was using, my um, inhibitions were, uh, somewhat lessened . . . even then though . . . I think I'll stop talking now." Reid's face was burning a deep crimson after his confession.

"I'm not gonna judge you because of your sex life, whatever it has or hasn't been. I'm really not in a position to judge. The uh, the time period, how long do the experts say you should be clean for before pursuing a romantic relationship?"

"Oh, um, some say one year, some say two years. Some say you should be able to successfully keep a plant or a pet for that time frame first."

"How long you been clean now pretty boy?"

"Uh, ten months and ten days."

"Please tell me you're willing to start dating after one year."

"I hadn't really thought about it, but I suppose."

"So . . . will you pencil me in on your one year anniversary and I'll take you to a really nice restaurant to celebrate and that can be our first date?"

Reid smiled. "Yeah, I can do that."


End file.
